A place to learn about natural family planning

If you are trying to get pregnant, you want to be having regular menstrual cycles.

However, this is not always the case for many women!

There can be all sorts of reasons for having irregular menstrual periods. Here are a few of those causes:

• Too much or too little of the hormone progesterone can cause you to experience irregular periods. There is a widely held belief in the medical community that progesterone deficiency causes Premenstrual Syndrome, (better known as the infamous PMS) chronic fatigue, breast pain, low libido, and more. The flip side of this effect of too little progesterone is that an excessive amount of progesterone can also cause you to have irregular, spotty periods.

• Environmental toxins can cause a hormonal imbalance, that in turn can cause irregular periods. Why? Because environmental endocrine disruptors can disrupt your hormone balance, and thus disrupts your period. To regulate your periods, minimize your exposure to heavy metals such as lead or mercury. This means limiting the amount of certain fishy foods such as tuna.

• Allergy medicines can sometimes cause irregular periods. Oral steroids such as prednisone can suppress allergic reactions by suppressing the immune system, and result in an irregular period. Most doctors advise avoiding system-wide steroids whenever possible if you are trying to conceive.

• Smoking cigarettes can cause irregular menstrual cycles. If you smoke, you should be aware that it hastens menopause and weakens your menstrual cycle! Cigarette toxins can affect your ovaries and circulatory system, and secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Women who smoke enter menopause two years earlier than those who don’t smoke. To keep your period regular and for good reproductive health, quit smoking!

• Drinking alcohol affects ovulation, menstruation and fertility levels. If you are drinking more than five alcoholic drinks a week; it can cause irregular periods. Excessive alcohol also reduces ovulation and female fertility levels. Polyphenols in red wine may have health benefits, but only in small amounts, and not at all if you want to get pregnant.

When you are trying to get pregnant, you should strive to keep your periods regular!

Tagged as: Fertility, get pregnant, ovulation, Trying To Conceive

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

If you are trying to conceive, having a regular menstrual period is crucial!

Did you know that certain foods will help to regulate your monthly period?

• Most processed “white” foods: The biggest majority of natural foods are not white; this color is usually a result of processing and refining. As a general rule, foods that have been over processed and refined to attain a snowy color have probably had most of the good nutrients removed in the process! To regulate your menstrual cycle, try to avoid white flour, sugar, white potatoes, white bread, white pasta, and white rice. These foods can interfere with your normal cycle by causing insulin surges that result in fat storage. This excess fat storage has a negative effect on both menstruation and ovulation.

• Protein: Protein is essential to a regular menstrual cycle because it helps regulate hormones. If your hormones are out of whack, it can wreak havoc with your menstrual cycle and ovulation, too. If you prefer not to eat a lot of red meat, plant and dairy proteins are quite good for enhancing fertility and hormonal balance. Dried beans and peas, eggs, and cheese are all sources of protein.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D streamlines communication between your cells, thus having a stabilizing effect on your hormones. Dairy products are rich in Vitamin D, and one of the best ways to make sure you get enough of this vitamin is to spend a few minutes in the sunlight two or three times a week.

• Omega 3 fatty acids: The blood vessels in your ovaries are extremely small, and this makes them particularly vulnerable to damage and poor circulation. Such factors as smoking, being overweight, and having high cholesterol can have a negative effect on the blood vessels in your ovaries. If the ovarian blood vessels aren’t functioning correctly, it blocks hormones and blood flow. If you are trying to get pregnant, it is best to take a fish oil supplement that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids instead of eating a lot of fish due to the mercury.

• Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate that contains at least 70% coca solids can help to regulate your menstrual period because it contains flavenoids, which have an estrogen like activity.

A diet that contains these foods will help to keep your menstrual periods regular!

Tagged as: Fertility, get pregnant, ovulation, Trying To Conceive

{ Comments on this entry are closed }